Bound By Honor
by wolfgangwalker12
Summary: Po was banished from the Jade Palace 6 months ago for a crime he never committed. Now he spends his days helping out at his fathers noodle shop. Hes sad, lonely, and depressed. But all will change once he runs into an old friend. I would say its only rated k right now jsut to be safe but probobly t or m for later chapters. POXTIGRESS! Sequel out soon...
1. A Lost Memory

**Bound By Honor**

**Hello! This is my first write on here so i hope you enjoy it! Constructive criticism is appreciated but no flames pleeeaase! Thank you enjoy!**

**If you like the story, be sure to review! Thanks!**

* * *

**Chapter 1: A Lost Memory**

The rain drops gently fell from the sky onto the streets of the Valley of Peace. Everything was quiet in the valley as it had been for months. No robberies, fights, or attacks of any kind had been reported. Occasionally, a skirmish or two might occur every once in a while, but for the most part everything was quiet in the village since the great, noble Dragon Warrior had been banished from the palace a few months back. It seemed as though any villain only stole, or committed a crime just so they could battle the legendary master of Kung Fu himself! But now that there was no Dragon Warrior, no one wanted to cause any trouble.

Po looked out upon the grey skies from the window of Mr. Pings noodle shop. He had spent many hours contemplating his life and the mistake that had cost him banishment from the palace. He thought back to that same night that caused his banishment only months ago...

**6 months ago...  
**

It was just another typical day in the Jade Palace. Po and Tigress were sparring and Crane, Monkey, and Viper were doing agility training.

"Wow Po, you're really getting good at this!" Tigress pointed out.

"Thanks!" Said Po, "You're not too bad either!"

"Hey Po?" Said Tigress,

"What?"

"After practice can I talk to you about something?"

"Sure thing Ti! I- I mean T- Tigress!" Po exclaimed as he let the name slip from his tongue. "Wha- Whats it about?" He was praying that Tigress wouldn't kill him for calling him Ti, but she didn't even seem to notice.

"You'll just have to find out I guess." Tigress said as she flashed him a playful grin. "Now come on, we've got work to do"

Just then the doors of the palace flew open and there stood a Snow Leopard, with raging yellow eyes.  
Tai Lung! They exclaimed.

"Haha, not even close! I am much more powerful then that stupid, disgrace of a leopard! I have come for the Jade Blossom Stone!"

"Jade Blossom Stone? Haha! Look pal, but whatever that is, it isn't here! I've never even heard of it." Po replied with a smirk on his face.

"Well obviously Shifu doesn't tell you everything then!" The mysterious leopard said as he walked over to an old painting of a rose petal and punched a hole straight through the center of it, causing a somewhat large opening to appear. He then pulled out an ancient wooden box from the opening in the painting and pulled out a turquoise stone about the size of his palm, and casually started to walk away towards the giant hole he had blasted into the side of the palace when Po said,

"OK, pal, stealing from the palace is very frowned upon so I'm gonna have to teach you a lesson! Furious five, let's go!" He shouted as he ran toward the leopard. The leopard took out an obsidian blade and charged at the panda as well. Po got off the first blow and hit the leopard right in the side of the head but the leopard shrugged off the pain and struck back with his free hand, hitting Po in the face as well. Now all of the furious five were battling the Leopard at once, but he somehow managed to fight them all off. He was winning the battle and soon all of the furious five would be defeated by him.

The last thing Po remembered before the blackout was seeing Tigress running at the enemy and then rushing at the Snow Leopard himself. The leopard then dropped a square object that started to emit smoke. Po ran into the blinding haze and saw the leopard's fist come out of the smoke and hit him in the temple. _Lights out._ When he woke, there was chaos all around him.

"Tigress! Tigress wake up!" Viper screamed.

"Oh, god. What have you done Po!" Crane cried.

Po looked over and saw a huge gash in the side of Tigress's torso. There was a lot of blood and she looked to be unconscious.

"Wha- What happened?" Po said in a groggy voice.

"You killed tigress!" Monkey said. "You killed her!"

"No. NO. I couldn't have. I- I-" Po started to say but he looked down and noticed something resting in his lap. It was the obsidian blade that the leopard had used to fight them, and HE was holding it.

The rest was kind of fuzzy in his mind. Shifu came in, and said some harsh words to him, and then told him to pack up his things and leave the Jade Palace for attempting murder on a member of the Furious Five. Before he left however, he heard that Tigress had woken up and was being treated in the medical wing of the palace. Po rushed into her treatment room and said,

"Tigress! TIGRESS! I'm so sorry it wasn't me that used that sword. I was framed! It was that leopard and his-"

"Po, Po, I know it wasn't you. I know." Tigress said in a shaky, yet clam voice. "Po. Po, I lo-" She was about to say something but passed out again, leaving Po to be forcefully escorted from the Jade Palace screaming, "Let me go it wasn't me. I WAS FRAMED!"

**End of Flashback**

* * *

**Well thats all for now! I hope you enjoyed the first chapter, Ill be updating again in a few days. Compliments are appreciated as well as criticism.**


	2. Meeting with an old friend

Well here's another chapter so I hope you enjoy it! Also, thanks for the good reviews and support! As long as you like it, ill keep writing. Enjoy,

If you do like it be sure to review!

* * *

Po got up and stood away from the window of the shop. He couldn't stand the sight of the gray, cloudy skies above, but for some reason he felt compelled to go towards the door and look upon the Jade Palace. His old home.

_No. That was my previous life. I know I can never return to the palace. Never again._

But even though he said that he still felt a feeling deep down inside of him; _Hope._ One day he wanted only to go up to the palace and explain what had happened to the furious five. To tell them that it was all a misunderstanding. To earn their forgiveness. He just wanted to hug all of them. Especially Tigress.

There was just a certain way he felt when he was around her. A feeling that he didn't feel when he was around anyone else. Maybe it was the fact that she would always listen to his problems and comfort him in his times of need. Or maybe it was how she would always help him in the most dire of situations. Or how she was so sweet and caring to him, despide her fierceness towards others.

**Flashback: 1 week before the incident**

"Po!" Shifu yelled as he summoned the furious five to stand outside their rooms.

"Yes sir Shifu!" Po said as he walked up to the pint sized red panda.

"It's MASTER Shifu to you panda." Shifu said glaring at the panda with anger in his eyes. "Can you explain why the kitchen is a mess? Because I thought I asked you specifically to clean the kitchen after dinner!"

"Oh, well after dinner I went back to the training hall to get some extra work in on my Kung Fu skills." Po said sheepishly.

"Well that is no excuse! Now you not only have to clean the kitchen, but you also have to clean up the training hall and dust all of the relics in the palace! Do I make myself clear Po?"

"Yes Master Shifu." Po said, rolling his eyes.

"Good. Now for the rest of you, today will be a free day!" Everyone cheered except for Tigress, who wore a concerned expression on her face.

After Shifu left, the rest of the furious five went back to their rooms to prepare for a fun-filled day of freedom. All except for a tiger and a panda, who stood in the hallway still.

"Hey Po!" Tigress exclaimed, "If I help you out with the chores, we'll be done in half the time and we can spend the rest of the day together!

"Wow thanks tigress! You would do that for me?"

"Of course!" she said, "Now lets get to work!"

Po and Tigress spent half the day cleaning and dusting and moping all around the palace but they somehow managed to make it fun. They laughed the whole time and made jokes, talked about the first days they spent at the palace, and a billion other things.

After they finished with the cleaning, Po and Tigress walked along the road that led out of the village and came upon a lake. They splashed in the cool, refreshing water and then sat on a nearby log and talked some more. There, they watched the shimmering water, and the birds, and the great oak trees that dotted the shoreline of the lake.

Po took out a cherry blossom from his back pocket and handed it to Tigress. She smiled and said,  
"Oh, Po! Thank you so much its beautiful!"

"Your welcome Ti... I mean tigress!" Po tried to catch himself but she had already noticed the name. "I just saw it and thought of you."

" Awwww. Po that's so sweet. and its ok. I like that name. You can call me Ti when were not around the rest of the five."

"OK, Ti." Po felt weird using the new name but it felt right at the same time.

They spent another hour at the lake, watching the sun go down. Po slowly moved his paw over tigresses, hoping that she wouldn't kill him for it. She didn't and actually put her head on Po's shoulder as they watched the sun sink down below the mountains ever so slowly.

"Po, I wish we could stay here forever."

**End of flashback**

When he had first arrived at the palace, Tigress had rejected him. She had done everything in her power to shut him out, but after the defeat of Lord Shen in Gongmen city however, things changed between them. She acted differently when she was around him. She would always give him more training if he needed it, and on a few occasions even helped Po do chores around the palace. She didn't point out all of his flaws, or bring up his weaknesses like the rest of the five did. Po would do anything, ANYTHING to see her face one more time.

His attention was suddenly averted to the front enterance of the shop, where a hooded figure was now standing.  
Po said to it, "Hey sorry pal but we've closed up shop for the evening come back tomorrow!"

The figure replied in a deep, deep voice, "I did not come here for noodles panda!, I've come here to see you."

_Oh No! A rogue bandit! _Po thought to himself as he ducked down below the window.  
_How did they find me! Well, I'm not going to let some petty thief rob dad's shop, so here goes nothing!_

Po jumped over the counter and ran strait at the hooded figure. Seconds before he collided with the enemy, it jumped 8 feet in the air, landed with a soft _thud_, and spun around to face Po.

No the figure spoke in a softer, more gentle tone then before, "Po... Please."

Po knew he had heard that voice before, but he hadn't heard it in a long time.

"How do you know my name!" Po shouted as he charged again. He tried swinging a blow into the figure but it caught his fist mid-punch, jumped up in the air with Po, and then sent him sailing ten feet over some tables and into a pile of boxes.

"Th- There's only one person I know who practices that move." Po said shakily as he got up from the pile of crushed boxes.  
"T- Tigress? Is that you?"

"Po!" The figure said as it took off its hood and revealed a face that Po could tell belonged to none other then the orange and black feline herself; Tigress.

She ran up and wrapped Po in a tight, loving embrace. "Po I missed you so much!" She said as she sobbed silently into his shoulder.

"Hey, It's OK, I'm here for you Ti."

* * *

THanks for reading! Im thinking ill just keep rolling out chapters so expect the next update in a day or so

Adios!


	3. Hand In Hand

Well here's another chapter so I hope you enjoy! Thank you for your reviews as well! I found them motivating as well as invormative that I have some grammatical errors throughout but I'll clean those up on a few updates. thanks enjoy!

* * *

**Hand In Hand**

They stood in the middle of the noodle shop, hugging, for what seemed like forever. Time seemed to stand still as they embraced each other. Tigress continued to cry into Po's shoulder and gripped him tightly and whispered,

"Po, yo- you never should have left us. You should never have left _me."_ Po replied in a comforting tone,

"Shhh. Ti it's ok. Don't cry. Everything's going to be ok."

"No it's not!" She said, still choking back tears. "They banished you for, for something that wasn't your fault! It was that damn leopard! I- I tried to explain to the five and Shifu but they wouldn't listen. Shifu said that all of the five witnessed you holding the sword and attacking me, but- but I know what really happened."

"Ti, you know I would never do anything to hurt you, but yet why did I try to kill you? Here come inside, it's freezing out here."

Po led Tigress into the shop, put on a pot of some homemade soup, and sat down with tigress at a table. She then explained to him what she had seen.

"After that crazy leopard took that stone, he detonated some smoke device, and then he started to transform. He took the shape of _you _Po. While you all had been concentrating on just the battle itself, I was watching that leopard very carefully. That's why I was the only one to see this happening. Anyway, I saw what he was doing so I ran at him and then he got me." She said as she pulled back part of the robe to reveal a darker line of fur that stretched about a foot down her torso. "Good thing I have this fur to cover up the scar. But anyway a guess after that he must have knocked you out and then put the sword down by you. It was a perfect plan. I tried to tell them what happened but they said I was delirious. That I just must have seen some illusion in the smoke, but I know what I saw."

Po listened intently, taking in every detail. Now he understood what happened and now he felt hungry; hungry for _revenge. _Revenge against the person who had hurt his Tigress and who had destroyed his reputation.

"Po, you HAVE to come back to the palace with me. We can explain the situation to Shifu together. He'll understand with you and me both telling him." Tigress urged him, but Po was unsure. How could he face those that he had hurt? But wait, he _hadn't _hurt them. But that's not what they thought.

Tigress now spoke with a more urgent, pleading tone, "Po. Please come back to the palace. I need you." Tigress realized what she had just said and then added, "And of course the rest of the five need you as well even though they may not admit to it."

"Ok Ti, I'll do it. I'll do it for you. I need you too." Po couldn't see it, but Tigress was blushing. She hoped that he couldn't see it through her fur, but he seemed not to notice anything, so she became less worried about Po actually finding out her true feelings for him.

_Soon. I'll tell him soon._

Po packed a small bag full of some clothes and other important items, and he and Tigress set off to the palace to confront Shifu and clear Po's name.

They walked through the village with a lot of eyes on them. People would murmur and whisper things as they walked past, such as "Isn't that the dragon warrior?", "I thought he was banished.", and "Why is he going back to the palace?" Po could hear all of these whispers, but chose to ignore them. He wasn't interested in their opinion of him anyway.

Tigress took Po's hand as they began the walk up the steps to the palace. She remembered a time just like this on the return trip from Gongmen City after the incident with Shen.

**Tigress's flashback:**

They had a long journey back to the Jade Palace from Gongmen and with brutal terrain as well. Mountains, caverns, bridges, streams, and large rocks were only some of the obstacles in their way. Halfway through the trip home, Tigress had tripped on a tree root and twisted her ankle pretty bad.

She couldn't walk, let alone stand up properly. She thought that she would have to stay in another village until her ankle healed. But her knight in shining armor, Po, volunteered to carry her all the way back to the Palace. At first, the five and Shifu laughed at the idea. Mantis had said, "You carry Tigress a few hundred miles? I don't think so Po!" But Po just picked her up and started walking. She remembered that Po smelled good. Like honey and lavender. She loved it so she just buried her head in Po's sweet scented fur the entire trip.

As the miles went on, Po became weaker and weaker. He somehow managed to carry on though. The journey took more of a toll on him then it did on all of the furious five combined. They finally reached those steps. He climbed them one by one, slowly and painfully. He got all the way to Tigress's room, set her down on her bed gently and then collapsed himself on the floor.

"Thank you so much Po."

"You're welcome Tigress." Was the only reply that came from the panda. When she woke up, her ankle still hurt very badly and sharp jabs of pain shot up her body. She noticed that Po was still asleep on the floor and there was a tray on her nightstand. It had some soup and fresh fruit from the garden. There was a note attached to the tray. It read:

_Dear Tigress,_

_I hope you feel better soon! I made you some soup. Trust me; it will make you feel better._

_-Po_  
_PS: I hope you don't mind me falling asleep again on your floor._

**End of Tigress flashback**

They both made it finally to the top of the steps and walked up to the doors of the palace.

"Ready?" Tigress said.

"Ready."

They walked hand-in-hand into the palace hoping to reclaim Po's dignity and his honor.

* * *

A/N: Well now it's been 3 chapters in 3 days! I probably won't be able to update tomorrow however because I have some thing to attend to, but i'll start writing chapter 4 at least and then post it probably by Friday.


	4. A New Journey

Well hello again readers! I hope you enjoy the next chapter. I'll be posting every night now for at least the next few days, so thats covered unless some plans pop up, but for now new update tomorrow night.

* * *

**A New Journey**

Po was nervous, at that _very, very, very _nervous. What would happen when the time came for him to face Shifu directly? Po imagined it would go something like this,

"Hey Shifu, I'm innocent! It was all just a big misundersta-"

"PO! What are you doing here?! I hereby sentence you to death by some unusual punishment!"

"Yes. Master Shifu." Po would say as he was hauled off by some palace guards.

But no, no that could never happen. He had Tigress to help him. They could do this together. But still, Po had a bad feeling about the entire situation. They rounded a corner and walked down the hall that housed the furious five. Monkey just so happened to be in his room at the time Tigress and Po walked by and he shouted,

"TIGRESS IS THAT P-" Tigress snapped back too quickly for him to finish that sentence.

"Monkey if you don't shut up I'm going to bite your arm off! Ok?"

"Ok, ok, geez, I was just wondering what you and your _boyfriend _were doing here_, e_specially because he's not supposed to be here in the palace anyway._"_

Monkey would soon regret those words.

Tigress pounced on him and then shoved him up against a wall, full of rage.

"Po is NOT, N-O-T my boyfriend! Understand?" She growled, "Now what Po is doing back at the palace is none of your business so just shut your face." She let him go and then said, "No more wise-cracks or you'll wake up tomorrow lying face first in some ditch 2,000 miles away." She said coldly.

_Wow. If she feels so strongly AGAINST us being a couple, maybe I should lay off expressing my feelings to her. _Po thought to himself.

"Ok, sorry. By the way hey Po haven't seen you in a while!" Monkey piped up again.

Tigress gave him another one of her trademark glares, which seemed to silence him pretty fast.

"Come on Tigress, we've got business to take care of." Po said, trying to get Tigress away from Monkey before he said anything else stupid.

"Ya. Ya you're right. Let's go." She said, now seeming calmer than before.

When they got past the sleeping quarters, Tigress said, "Sorry Po. I didn't mean to go off on Monkey like that in front of you. It was unnecessary for me to get mad at him."

"It's fine Ti, you were defending me, and that was pretty awesome." Po said. He was truly grateful about the fact that even though she had been so harsh to monkey, she was only doing it to protect himand that's what mattered. Within a few minutes, they had arrived at two large doors with decorative paintings of two golden dragons on them, marking the room as Master Shifu's quarters. Po took a deep breath and prepared for the worst.

"You ready?"

"Ready as I'll ever be. It'll be fine."

Could he have been more wrong?

They opened the massive oak doors to reveal a sizeable chamber with a golden statue of some long forgotten kung fu artist in the middle. Po had never actually been in Shifu's chambers before. Shifu said to only disturb him in here when it was only absolutely necessary. Po noticed that on the left there were several large shelves, containing countless scrolls. Large paintings of battles, trees, and warriors lined the walls all the way around the chamber. Po noticed only one in particular; a very old, worn oil painting of a cherry blossom. Po only thought about it for a split second as his thoughts and attention drew to the back wall of the chamber.

There was a desk here. Some papers scattered across its scratched and battered surface. Behind this desk sat a red panda. He was deep in thought, lost in one of the many scrolls he possessed. As they drew nearer to him, he finally looked up.

"Ahhh Tigress, what brings you he- PO! What is that traitor doing here! I want him out NOW!"

"Now father, Me and Po need to talk to you about the attack on Jade Palace. We want you to know that Po is innocent. I'll even explain it again for you."

"Tigress, he tried to kill you!" Shifu snapped back, "And you want to help him? To try and prove he's innocent? He's dangerous Tigress."

Now Tigress was taken aback by that. Her father could be so, _blind, _sometimes.

"You know that's not what happened!" Tigress yelled back, on the verge of tears. "Po, was only trying to protect us and that leopard framed him! I've told you a thousand times! You only wanted him gone because you _hate_ him. You wanted to make sure you never saw him again. He has saved our lives several times before, and you think he would do such a thing like that?! You don't give Po ANY respect considering the fact he defeated Tai Lung, Shen, and countless other enemies for us but yet you'll give him all the credit for anything wrong that happens?"

"You know that's not true. I was a little harsh on Po sometimes, but it was for his own good! A true dragon warrior needs discipline. And I certainly did not HATE him. That's not why he had to go! He committed treason! He did do some great things for us, but maybe he just snapped, went on a rampage."

"YOU FOOL!" Tigress shouted back, "He admired you and respected you and all you did was treat him like scum! A dragon warrior does need discipline, but also needs care, and kindness. Po isn't an invincible GOD, he has feelings too!"

Tears were now streaming down her face, as if some combination of built up anger, frustration, and sadness were now just flowing out of her. Po held her close as she buried her face into his shoulder and said to Shifu, "Look, I did not try to kill Tigress. Why would I ever do anything to harm her, or any of you for that matter? What I'm trying to say is that I care about all of you, and I would do anything to protect you at all costs."

Po spoke in a very calm way. A way that conveyed his thoughts and feelings to Shifu. Shifu knew Po was innocent. He just _knew _it, but there was no proof. No one else would buy the story that Tigress had told him a thousand times. He had to make sure Po was the hero he knew him to be, but how?

"Look Panda, I _want_ to believe you, and half of me does. You have a good heart Po, and I doubt that you would go off and try to kill one of us. However, I cannot be certain that it wasn't you. Despite your heart, all of the five say that they saw a panda strike Tigress down."

"I am willing to prove my innocence!" Po said, standing his ground. "What if I go and find this Leopard? And what if I can prove that he stole a magic stone from the palace that allows him to shape-shift? Then would I have your trust back?"

"Hmmm. Yes, if you could bring the leopard back here, I guess then your story could be more believable. But until then I would have to be a fool to completely trust you. If you are that desperate to prove to us that you were framed, you should have no trouble hunting that leopard down. Now go panda, I don't want to see you back here unless you've got that leopard with you!"

No more was said. Po and Tigress left the chamber and went outside to the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom. They just sat and watched the clouds for a while, letting their emotions cool off. Then Po got up and got his bag. He walked to the front of the palace and started heading towards the steps that led down to the valley.

Tigress caught up with him and said,

"I'm coming with you Po."

"No you're not. I have to do this without you. I need to prove my innocence."

"Po, I want to help you."

"You have. You gave me a second chance. Now the rest is up to me. I've got to defeat the leopard."

"Po he'll kill you! He almost defeated all of us in a matter of minutes. You need help."

"I'm sorry Ti; I just don't want you to get hurt again." Po said eyes full of sadness. He started to walk away but Tigress ran after him and wrapped around him with another hug. Po could still feel the tears that clung to her cheeks.

"Po, no. I'm not going to lose you again. I wouldn't be able to handle it a second time." She said, now clinging ever tighter to the former dragon warrior. "I don't care what obstacles we have to get over. I'll follow you to the end of the Earth and back. Whatever it takes."

Po repeated those last words,

"Whatever it takes. _Sigh. _Ok, back a light travel pack with only necessities. We have a leopard to catch."

Tigress lit up and a smile spread across her face. She then made a purring sound deep in her throat and said, "Ok great! I'll go get some stuff, but if you even think about leaving me while I'm packing, you're dead. Got it?"

_Oh my god did she just purr? I've never heard Tigress purr before! Wow, is she that happy to go on a perilous journey with me? _Po thought.

"I would never think of doing such a thing." Po said. He was happy that Tigress had cheered up some, but he was secretly even happier that she was coming with him.

If he had to travel with anyone in all of China, it would be her.

* * *

A/N: Well again, I hope you liked it! If you did like it, be sure to review! Thanks,

-wolfgangwalker


	5. The Long Road Ahead

A/N: Another chapter done! I've gotta shorten my chapters, they just seem to keep getting longer! But anyway I hope you enjoy! If you like the story, be sure to review! It is always appreciated. For updating info and more details, you can visit my profile. Thanks!  
-wolfgangwalker

* * *

**The Long Road Ahead**

Po and Tigress walked down the long stretch of road leading out of the valley. As they passed by the village, they didn't wave at the villagers or say any goodbyes. All they wanted to do was leave that city and move on. For Po, leaving meant reclaiming his dignity, while for Tigress it meant some adventure with action and excitement. She became weary of just training all day and never fighting anyone. In a way, she was addicted to battle. She couldn't live without the adrenaline that you could only get when about to attack 15 armed bandits. Sitting around the palace hadn't exactly been her idea of "fun".

"So," Po said in an inquisitive tone, "How are we supposed to find this leopard anyway?"

Tigress replied, "Well I guess there's only one place to go. We'll have to venture to Chi Tao City."

"The- the City of Death?!" Po said in a wavering voice, "That's one of the most dangerous cities in all of China! It's where all of the worst criminals seem to end up!"

"Exactly, that's how we'll find that leopard! We'll ask around and see if anyone's seen him. Stealing from the Jade Palace must have made him pretty big news around there, so people should know him."

"We'll ok, if you say so, but how will we know who to talk to? Most of them will probably recognize us and try to kill us!"

"It'll be fine Po I know someone who might be able to help us." Tigress replied, "And in the city we'll wear cloaks so no one will be able to see our faces."

"Ok, well it's a plan I guess!" Po exclaimed. "Onward to Chi Tao City!"

The road was long and treacherous. Po and Tigress slept just off of the road so they wouldn't be seen by anyone. They passed many small villages along the way; many of which the people recognized Po and Tigress. Children would run out of their houses and ask Po and Tigress for autographs and stories about battles. Po and Tigress both laughed as they accounted stories about their previous battles and skirmishes, but the best story was the one about one underdog panda battling the most powerful being in China at that time; the fearless Tai Lung and how that Panda, against all odds, had beaten that leopard and became the most beloved hero in China. After a few stories, they would move on to the next village.

Soon the towns were fewer and more spread out, as they started to head into enemy territory. The sky seemed to grow darker, welcoming the arrival of the Kung Fu legends to one of the darkest pits in the world. They finally made it to the edge of a large cliff that looked out upon a huge mountain.

"There," Tigress said, "Is the Mountain of Fire, and at the base of that mountain is Chi Tao City. It's always in the shade because the mountain always blocks out the sun. Therefore, it got the name, City of Black."

"Um, well how are we supposed to get down this cliff?" Po asked.

"We jump." Tigress replied.

"We WHAT! That's a hundred foot drop at least! We'd never survive the fall!"

"Po, trust me. There's a net that you can't see down there that will catch us before we hit the ground. It's used as a way to deter unwanted company from coming to the city."

"How do you know that?"

"I've heard stories." Tigress replied, not even sure of herself anymore. "Po, do you trust me?"

"Of course I trust you Ti." Po said. "Well, let's get this over with then." Po grabbed Tigress's hand, and ran off the edge of the cliff, pulling Tigress with him. They both screamed as they plummeted down, down, down. The ground was coming up fast, but Po still didn't see any net.

_Oh no, we're doomed! _He thought. _Should I just tell her how I feel now? No. There's not enough time, we'll hit the ground in a matter of seconds!_

So instead, he just held her tightly, a final embrace. They were 20 feet off the ground now, when Po felt something slow them down. He looked down and saw the outline of the net. It was massive, and was colored to blend in with the ground. They were only inches from the ground when they stopped moving and the net came to a halt. They managed to find a small opening in the net and dropped to the ground.

Both of them were breathing fast, and neither could speak. Tigress's heart was pounding with adrenaline.

_Finally, some excitement._

After they regained their breath, they continued on a trail that led to the mountain. A few miles out, burned down houses and trees dotted the road and warning signs started to pop up. One of these warnings stood out. It was painted in red paint (hopefully it was paint) and there were 3 words written on it.

_Beware the Snatcher…_

*Gulp* "Ti, I don't know about this." Po said, "We could try looking somewhere else."

"Nonsense," Tigress replied very bluntly, "We're already here!" And with that being said the city came into view. It was a gloomy city. They could see many people roaming the streets, and if you looked around you could see people getting into fights all over the place. Large portions of the city were just tents and small shacks. There was one thing that did stick out about the city however. In the middle, there was a statue. There were no signs of vandalism on the statue, it was very clean and looked as though someone had just polished it. When people walked by it, they seemed to bow their heads in respect.

"T- Ti?"

"Yes Po?"

"Isn't that him? The Leopard?"

"On the statue? No, no it can't be. Wait, yes it is! It's that damn leopard again!"

Sure enough, in the middle of Chi Tao City, was a massive statue of the same leopard that had broken into the palace, crazy eyes and everything.

"Wow he must have gained some real respect around here. But why haven't we even heard his name yet?" Po said.

She replied, "Maybe people are too afraid to speak his name. Well we're getting close to the city now, put up your hood. We've got work to do."

As they walked among the criminals that they had either beaten up, chased off, or even put in jail, Po felt more and more concerned. If just one of those people found out who they were, they'd have 1,000 of the most dangerous criminals on them in a matter of seconds. They were careful to weave between the people so as to not accidently bump into one of them and start a fight. Somehow, they managed to not get killed as they Tigress led Po to an old cottage. There were a few shattered windows in the front of the house.

Both Kung Fu masters walked into the cottage, not sure what to expect. Tigress called out, "Mr. Chen! Mr. Chen! Are you in here?"

Suddenly, there was movement from the room above. An elderly fox came down the stairs and greeted Tigress with a warm expression. Tigress mentioned for Po to stay put and walked into another room with the man. They shared a few muffled words followed by a goodbye. When they left, Po asked Tigress,

"What was that about?"

"It was an old friend." She said. "He knows someone who knows where our leopard is and they can take us to him."

"Who is it?" Po asked, not sure about this idea.

"I don't know but supposedly we can find them at someplace called the Bao Lin Pit."

"She's found at the bottom of a pit?" Po asked, a smile appearing on his face. Tigress chuckled.

"No! It's a bar or something like that. It's located at the center of town."

They found the bar and walked in, seeing that the entire place was deserted, save for one leopard sitting in the far corner, face down.

"Tigress it's him! Let's attack!"

The figure looked up; its face did not resemble that of the leopard that had attacked the five.

"Excuse me? I'm a GIRL for your information, and I wouldn't advise attacking me, you two would probably take 15 seconds to take down!" The leopard said, with a smirk on her face.

"Hey!" Tigress snapped back, "In case YOU didn't know, were Kung Fu masters from the Jade Palace, so I'd like to see you try and fight us!"

"Wow sassy!" The leopard said. Tigress just glared at her. "Now why did you come here? I'm pretty sure it wasn't to get beaten up by me was it?"

"HEY YO-!"

"Ti, calm down," Po said as he put his hand on her shoulder. "We're here to find a guide that can lead us to some leopard. He broke into the Jade Palace and tried to kill us all a few months back. Do you know how to find him?"

"Ahhh you must be talking about Xan Li. Well, I do know how to find him, but I'm not going to tell some idiots like you how to find him!"

Tigress attacked. The fight was over in about a minute, Tigress had managed to get the leopard in a headlock.

"Ok, ok! Let's talk shall we?" The leopard managed to choke out. Tigress let her go, and they all sat down at a table.

"By the way my name is, Mei Tao but just call me Mei."

"Ok, Mei, where is Xan Li?" Po asked.

"Where do you think?" Mei asked, "He's working out of some cave at the top of the mountain."

"Ok, great. Po we're going!" Tigress said, but as they were about to leave Mei said,

"Wait, I'm coming with! That bastard Xan Li had his men chase away all my customers. See, I used to be the proud owner of this place, but now I've gotta shut down because of him! Plus, you don't know how to navigate the cave systems up there. You'd be lost in 5 seconds."

Tigress made a low growl and then said, "Fine. But no funny business got it?"

"Yes sir!" Mei replied in a sarcastic tone. On the way out of the city, Mei accidently tripped over Po, causing his hood to come off, revealing his face.

Someone from the crowd yelled, "Hey! That's the Dragon Warrior! Get him!" And just as Po had feared, they were now running from some thousands of criminals. He even thought that he heard some arrows fly by them as they sprinted through the city. They finally ran around a corner and came to a 20 foot high wall. Dead end. There were no other exits, no way out. Soon they were cornered by thousands of their worst nightmares.

"Um, well this isn't good!" Po said.

Somewhere in the crowd a person yelled "Charge!"

Mei just stood there. She shouted, "Bring it on!"

What followed would be remembered in that city for decades.

* * *

Well thanks for reading! REVIEW!


	6. New Attractions

New chapter! RIght on time like i said! But anyway thanks again remember to visit my profile for additional info on my writing, the story, and updating. If you like it be sure to review, THanks!

-wolfgangwalker

* * *

They were cornered. There was no question about that. Thousands of deadly warriors, rushing at them full speed and a dead end behind them. The gap was closing between the warriors and the criminals. 200 feet soon turned into 160 feet, which then became 140 feet of room left between them. There were a million thoughts rushing through Po's mind at that point. These fragments of thought came through his mind like this:

**Po+Mei+Tigress  
No escape behind them  
No use trying to climb the walls. They were to sleek and there was nothing to grab onto  
Only way out was forward  
Something that the enemy wouldn't expect  
Tigress.  
Must protect her**

Po then felt a pool of anger, frustration, and bravery began to pool up inside of him. He came up with a loose draft of a plan in his mind, careful not to waste precious seconds thinking.

"Quick! Tigress, Mei, jump on my back!"

"Po, what?! We need to stand and fight!" Tigress shouted back, getting into a battle stance.

"Tigress, do you trust me?" Po asked. She had said the same thing to him only hours ago and he had put all his trust into her, taken a chance and it had worked. Why couldn't it work again?

"Po, I trust you more than anyone else in the world!"

"Then jump on my back! Quickly!"

_Time was running out. The shouts were drawing nearer, and they had to act._

Tigress glanced at the mob in front of them, and then the walls behind them. She nodded and got on Po's back, as did Mei. Po felt crushed by the weight of the two felines, but he wasn't thinking about pain anymore. It was an awkward sight as Tigress and Mei shuffled around and tried to situate themselves on Po's back, and somehow managed to both fit. Po let his instincts go crazy. He took a chance. He started to jog at first, but quickly accelerated towards the mob. His speed was increasing, breaking the limits of nature and running faster than anyone could possibly imagine. He was probably pushing on 20 miles, a black and white tank speeding towards the incoming rouges. Some were smart. They saw how powerful he was, and ran for their lives. The braver, more naive of the group just kept on running, thinking that the massive numbers of their group would be enough to stop that panda.

** Two things about that theory:**

**1. It was wrong.**

**2. It would cost them a few men.**

The gap between the two groups was now only 20 feet, and in a matter of seconds, there would be a clash.

_Faster, Faster, Faster! _Was all that Po could think about right now.

Right before impact, Tigress shouted,

"Po! I love you!"

Po thought he had heard something, his name being called, but didn't pay attention to the voice as he charged on. _Mei _on the other hand heard it loud and clear. She flashed a toothy grin.

Po collided with the front lines. The impact was unimaginable. Men were sent flying in every direction, and Po didn't stop. He just ran right through the middle of the group, splitting it in half like a knife through butter. As he neared the middle of the group, the charge became less intensified. It was more of a trudge as he managed to make his way through the fray. In addition, Tigress and Mei threw a few punches, helping them not get swallowed in a sea of daggers and angry marauders. When the group finally started to thin out, Po picked up speed again, plowing more and more people. Finally, they got a taste of freedom as they burst out of the mob.

Po stopped only for a second; panting heavily, as he let Tigress and Mei climb off his back. They could still hear angry voices coming after them, so they just kept running as fast as their legs could take them. They ran just out of the city limits, and then headed into the forest. They finally stopped. Po fell over, half-dead from exhaustion. He had actually injured himself by overexerting his body. His muscles not trained to handle the recent force he had put upon them. But Tigress was safe and that's all that mattered. He passed out, not caring where he was or what was going on around him.

When he woke up the next day, he was sore, and tired, and there was a bothersome itch on the back of his neck, but he didn't care about that. Tigress and Mei were standing above him. Both were dressed in expressions of happiness, concern, and appreciation. He got up, very slowly and painfully. He thought he might collapse if Tigress hadn't helped him get up. Mei came up and gave him a big hug, followed by a gentle kiss on the cheek. (Not to the amusement of Tigress)

"Wow panda! That was the most incredible thing I've ever seen! You DESTROYED them!" Mei said, "You're truly amazing, do you know that?"

"Wow, thanks! I just wanted to make sure everyone was safe. I was just doing my duty as sworn protector of China, the Dragon Warrior!" Po said with dignity in his voice.

"Wow! You're serious? That's amazing!" Mei said. Po was beaming. This was the first scrap of pride he had felt in a long time. Someone was actually thanking him and praising him for being the Dragon Warrior? The moment was soon torn down by none other than the orange and black feline when she grumbled,

"We'll used to be anyway. He got dishonored for trying to kill me." She was already exhausted as well, and it didn't help that some uptight leopard was taking Po from her. She just let it flow from her lips. She immediately regretted saying that.

Po was in shock. He just turned from her and walked away. Tigress chased after him, screaming,

"Po! Po! I'm sorry, I didn't mean it!"

Mei just stood there, not knowing what to think.

Tigress finally got Po to come back to camp, but he wouldn't say a word to her. On the long and winding road that led to the top of the mountain, Po and Mei talked A LOT. They would laugh and make jokes and play games to pass the time. Tigress however traveled behind, feeling absolutely terrible. She was going to lose the one thing that mattered to her most, Po. She knew she would have to express her true feelings to him soon, if she ever wanted a chance with him. For some reason though, she couldn't.

Growing up, no one had ever liked her. They _feared _her, and she had grown accustomed to that fear, but as the years passed by she became more and more lonely. And now she realized who she wanted to be with for the rest of her life. It was Po. It would always be Po, but those dreams were crumbling faster than she could put them back together.

* * *

Ohhh the drama! Well not really but anyway thanks for reading. New chapter out soon (possibly tomorrow) i dont know but ill update my profile soon. THanks again!


	7. Confessions

Hello again! Another chapter and another late posting time, but i had things to do. If you like as always please review the story i really appreciate it! Also: more info on the story and updating times are located on my profile if you want it. . thanks again for all your support readers!

-wolfgangwalker

* * *

**Confessions**

The snow fell silently and softly at first upon Po and the others, but then gradually the wind picked up and the white powder started falling harder, and soon enough the party of three was caught in a full-on blizzard. Fortunately, several small towns peppered the mountain and they were able to find one of these towns and bought a small room in a tiny inn. It was cramped, with only one bed and a pad on the floor, but it was all the inn had and it was certainly better then sleeping out in the cold. Po made himself right at home, collapsing on the pad. Within only a few minutes, he was fast asleep.

Tigress was over by the bed checking her bag and making sure she had enough supplies for the rest of the trip, when Mei casually walked over and sat down beside her, giving her a slightly evil grin.

"What?" Tigress said, her voice thick with irritation.

"You know what." Mei said casually, "What you said seconds before Po ran through those warriors, you know about your deep, passionate love for-"

"Shhhhhh!" Tigress said, motioning over to the sleeping Panda. They got up, and went outside in the hallway just outside of the room.

"Now, look Tigress," Mei said, "It's obvious you like him, so why not just tell him how you feel?"

Tigress snapped on Mei, much to her surprise. "Look, _leopard_, I know what you're doing! You're after Po and I know it. With all the laughing and talking and hugging, I'm surprised he hasn't asked _you _on a date yet!"

Mei was the type of person that never lost an argument, so of course she fired back.

"Excuse me?! You think I would date that? He's stupid, lazy, and wayyyy too foolish for me!"

"You take that back!" Tigress shouted as she slammed the leopard into a wall, causing a noticeable dent to be made in it. Tigress pinned Mei down and seething with anger, she said, "He is the sweetest, bravest, _smartest_ panda I've ever met, and he has twice the heart of anyone else in all of China!"

"Haha, well I see why you're mad! You're just jealous because Po's falling for me!"

"THAT'S IT!" Tigress screamed and with that she picked up Mei and threw her all the way across the hallway. Mei was dazed at first, but got up soon after and ran at the tiger. Mei took a blow to the face, and laid on the ground for a good minute or so before slowly getting back up.

"Ok, ok stop, don't kill me!" Mei shouted. "I'm sorry for what I said, and I don't like Po. All I want to do is talk!"

"And what about the kiss on the cheek?" Tigress said, still unsure about Mei's story.

"It's just a sign of courtesy around here, don't take it too personally."

"Fine, I guess I believe you. Well we better go somewhere else, we probably woke up a lot of people and they're going to be pissed."

"Agreed."

Tigress and Mei walked into a restaurant, and sat down. It really wasn't that late, despite Po's sleepiness. Many people were at the restaurant, eating dinner. It seemed as though Po hadn't been accustomed to walking so far in such little time, so naturally he was dead tired.

"So," Mei asked, "What's up with you and the Panda? You like him right?"

"Well, I like him. I guess I like him _a lot_." Tigress confessed. "I used to think he was annoying, clumsy, and lousy, but everything just changed one day and now I see him differently. It's almost like he's changed. He can still have some times where he can be clumsy and annoying, but he's got a golden heart. Every time I see him I just want to collapse in his soft fur. There's this feeling I get when I'm around him. It's a warm, tingly feeling and my heart starts beating faster."

"Well, that's the feeling of love!"

"Love?"

"Ya, love! You've never been in love before?"

"Well no… no guy has ever given me a chance, they're all too frightened by my… tough, exterior. No guy seems to give me a chance." Tigress said, sadness in her voice.

"Po's giving you a chance right now." Mei said, "All you have to do is go up to him, and tell him how you feel! Open up, don't be mean, and be yourself and he'll be yours forever."

"But what if he doesn't think I'm- attractive?"

"He already does! I see how he acts around you! He loves you as well Tigress, but you just have to make him show it!" Mei said, not a note of doubt in her voice.

"Maybe you're right, maybe I should open up to Po. Ok, ok I'll do it! I'm going to tell Po how I feel!"

"Good girl, now let's get back to the room before the panda notices we've been gone!"

Po had already noticed, and was franticly searching the hotel for the two felines. When they arrived, he ran up to Tigress and gave her a big hug. Tigress was stunned at first, but she saw Mei motioning to hug back, so she tightly wrapped her arms around him too.

"Ti, I- I thought you had run away or something!" Po said, still holding Tigress, "Tigress I am SO sorry! I overreacted about what you said and I shouldn't have. It was-"

"Po," Tigress replied looking into Po's eyes now, arms still tightly wrapped around him "No, I should be the one to apologize, I was angry and shouldn't have said such a stupid thing Po."

_Should I tell him now and just get it over with? No, it's not the right time._

She decided to wait a while longer to tell him, but she didn't realize that a while longer meant very soon.

Dusk was now upon them, and the warriors headed in for the night. As soon as they got in their room, Mei ran over to the bad and spread out on it, forcing Tigress to sleep on the floor.

Sometime throughout the course of the night, Tigress woke up shivering. She rolled over only to find the warm, plush body of the panda sleeping next to her. She cuddled up against him, taking in his body heat. Po didn't make a sound as he slowly put his arms around Tigress's torso. She made a soft purr, and went into a peaceful slumber, dreaming about Po and the life they could share. This was the first night in a long time where she actually slept well.

After tonight however, peaceful sleep would be harder to afford. Trouble was looming.

* * *

Well another chapter, i may update tommorow but im unsure, check back to my profile ill update that soon with my official update time for chapter 8 thanks


	8. Darkness Rising

Hey well after 2 days ive added another installment of my story, I hope you enjoy! And please review the story when youre done reading i appreciate it so much! Thank you and enjoy.

-wolfgangwalker

* * *

**Darkness Rising**

It was an early day for the band of warriors. The sun rose early, painting the room in a foreboding blood red color. Tigress was the first to wake, slowly shaking Po and Mei to get them up. They were all ready to go in a matter of minutes and set out again up the mountain.

As they got further up, the air became cold and unfriendly. Vegetation stopped growing, leaving a barren rock surface along the trail. It had been about 2 weeks since Tigress and Po had ventured out from the Jade Palace, and those 2 weeks had probably been the roughest of their lives. They were all weak and tired, but continued to inch up the peak anyway, determined to capture the leopard.

"Hey we're almost there! We'll probably arrive at the cave systems in a day or so!" Mei shouted back at Po and Tigress, her breath making small clouds of steam as she spoke.

_Thud, thud, thud_

_"_Great! At this pace we'll be back to the Jade Palace in no time!" Po said back.

_Thud, thud, thud_

Tigress' ears perked up. _What's that sound?_ She could hear the soft, muffled sounds of _footsteps?_

_THUD, THUD, THUD_

"Po, Mei! Off the road now!"

"What's with you?" Mei said, giving the Tiger a questionable look.

"JUST MOVE NOW! FIND COVER!" She shouted at them, this time with more authority in her tone. They quickly got off of the trail and hid behind a rock, just seconds before a battalion of angry looking soldiers marched around the corner. They were very organized, let by a black and white fox. He carried a flag that was all black except for one lone red star in the middle of it. All of the soldiers were jeering and shouting, holding a various array of weapons over their heads.

"What the hell?" Tigress said, "Why didn't we see anyone else like this on our way up?"

"They were gathering. Probably preparing for some sort of an attack somewhere." Po replied.

Tigress thought that there were probably a mass of 10,000 at least in the march, headed to some location unknown. They could probably take any city in all of China! Then she heard one of the soldiers mention to another,

"Hey when we get to the Jade Palace what are we supposed to do?" Tigress' heart nearly dropped from her chest. A chill was sent up her spine at the mention of her home in danger. The response to the question however was far more disturbing.

"We burn it. We burn it to the ground."

"Po!" Tigress whispered, "We have to go after them, they're headed for the Jade Palace!"

"What!" Po said, feeling the same dread that Tigress was feeling, "No, we can't go after them, their forces are too strong, we'd never win! All we need to do is capture Xan and tell him to call of the attack, or we could go to the rest of the five and try to fight."

"Let's just get the leopard now; he must still be up in the caves, hiding from us." Mei joined in.

The next few days were hard, but worth it. They were propelled by a need to defend their home. At last, a solid rock wall stood alone up at the highest point of the mountain. The enterance was black as night and had two giant stone doors, and carved into the stone was a poem. Chaotic yes, but still a poem nonetheless.

_It read,_

_Up the mountain high,  
land of black awaits.  
Soul and heart shall be consumed,  
for up the mountain high  
no one is spared._

"Well that's depressing." The panda said. "Well how in the name of Kung Fu are we gonna get this door open, it must weigh 10,000 pounds!"

They tried pulling, pushing, cracking, and pounding the door, but it was shut tight. They were about to give up, when suddenly the doors started to screech open. Tigress, Po, and Mei all hid behind the entrance, just to make sure there were no surprises waiting for them at the entrance of the caves. To their relief, it was only a small group of rag-tag soldiers, who had apparently been left behind by the rest of the group.

Tigress flashed a quick grin at Po, then rushed out and attacked the small group. The soldiers were caught off guard, and Tigress was making short work of them. Po and Mei quickly ran in and joined the fight and in less than a minute the soldiers had been taken down. Tigress had been knocked down during the course of the skirmish, but Po was right there to help her up. Thank you Po, Tigress smiled. She saw Mei wink at her and then nodded towards the Panda.

"Hey I'm gonna go get my… stuff. I think I left it back by the doors!" Mei said, giving Tigress a grin, "You two just stay put!" Mei rushed over to the entrance and sat there, pretending to gather some things.

Tigress had a million thought rushing through her head at that moment. A million sights, sounds, smells, all plaging her mind, but when she looked into Po's eyes, all of those other thoughts were silenced. And only one remained, the love of her life, her very heart and soul, _Po. _

Tigress knew that beyond the entrance to the caves, they might never get a chance to talk again.

_Here goes nothing._

"Hey Po, I need to talk to you about something."

"Me too Ti."

"Po, we've been through a lot together with all the battles and Tai Lung and then Gongmen, and over this time I've realized something. I- I really think you're amazing and- and-"

"Ti, I really like you too. You're one of the most amazing girls I have ever met and I know you probably hate my guts, but I think you're really great. Any guy would be so lucky to have you Ti. You're so beautiful and kind and smart, cunning, fearless, brave, awesome, and one of the best Kung Fu masters in all of China!"

"You really think I'm pretty? I mean- oh thank you Po." Tigress said, blushing so red that it started to show through her fur, "And I don't hate your guts Po, I pretty much feel the exact opposite towards you." They didn't realize it, but they were holding each other's hands, their faces only inches away now.

Tigress knew this was right. It was perfect. After all the years of locking away her feelings and emotions, she was about to let it all out. Faces inching closer and closer now, Mei had now given up the charade of getting her things and was now watching the event intensely.

"What I'm trying to say is that Po- I lov-!" Just then something came hurtling out of the entrance of the cave, spiraling as it did a double flip in the air and landed to face them.

_Dammit why won't anyone just let me have my moment! _Tigress screamed in her mind.

There stood the all-mighty Xan, with a cocky smile on his face.

"Hello mighty warriors! I'm impressed to say the least! You have made it so far, yet so foolish as to leave your home defenseless against my armies! No, I'm sure the furious _four_ and the old man can stop them. Or _can _they! Well I wish you the best of luck down there in my fortress of darkness. Let the games begin!" And with that, he grabbed Tigress' arm and disappeared into the cave, Tigress screaming all the way. All that was left behind were the footprints of a Tigress that had been there only seconds ago.

"TIGRESS!" Po shouted at the cave. He ran over to Mei and said, "Tigress! He's got Tigress and they've gone into the caves! We have to go get her!"

"Po what can we do?" Mei said, "I'm too inexperienced to fight off someone like Xan and you probably can't face him either! He's just too strong!"

"Mei we have to try. Please, I can't do this without your help." Po said as a final act of desperation.

She took a look at him, then the cave, then back at him and said,

"Fine, but if we die, I'm blaming _you." _

They ran into the entrance, plummeting into a world of darkness.

* * *

Thanks agian for reading i hope you found some entertainment out of it. But anyway new chapter out tomorrow maybe? Ill update my profile so you can check back there in a while. THANKS!


	9. The Panda and the Tiger- Pt 1

**Hey sorry for the delay everyone! Between super bowl sunday and other things, i didnt have a lot of time to write so heres another chapter enjoy! By the way please review the story! YOu dont know how much it means to me to get feedback on the story. It really motivates me to write more! Thanks again!**

**-wolfgangwalker**

* * *

**The Panda and the Tiger: Part One**

As Po and Mei ran forth into the veil of pure black, Po could only think about how they could take down Xan. He was much more powerful than Po or Mei and there was no way they could defeat him when he was so powerful. It seemed as though the stone had given him some sort of immense power. Po knew that the only reasonable way to level the playing field was to get that stone from Xan and destroy it.

Mei whispered to him in the darkness,

"Hey where are we supposed to go? I can't see sh-"

"Shhhhhh!" Po hissed back, "I see something coming up ahead." They came up to a huge cavernous chamber, lit by what seemed to be hundreds of dimly lit torches. There was another opening at the end of the chamber, but something didn't seem right. The opening seemed to reek of evil. But there was no turning back; there was a huge _clash _as a door behind them closed shut. A huge beast then emerged from the entrance at the other side of the cavern. It was a huge ox, eyes red, charging at them at full speed.

"Oh great!" Mei said with a smirk on her face. Po took his defensive stance as did Mei, preparing for impact. Po had greatly underestimated the ox's speed and skill, as the ox caught Po off guard and landed a punch straight into Po's jaw. It sent him flying ten feet across the room. Mei also got hit with a blow to the gut. She crumpled over, gasping for air. Po got back on his feet, now more prepared for the ox's attacks. The ox swung at him, Po deflected it and then kicked the ox right in the face. Po didn't think the ox could possibly get up after that kind of hit to the head, but somehow it did. The ox charged once again, and slammed into Po with great force.

Po thought he was done for. He couldn't feel his legs or anything else for that matter. A shiver ran through the length of his body. But then he thought of that one feline that helped him through everything. He could just imagine Tigress standing in front of him, offering to help him up. _Her eyes, her smile, her… everything_. Po felt some small amount of strength building up inside of him again, propelling him to get up. He did eventually, but the ox was right there, about to ram into him again when from out of the blue Mei came and tackled the ox. As soon as the ox was down, Mei started landing random punches. Po also came in to help out and in a few minutes they were sure that the ox wouldn't get back up again.

**They were wrong.**

"Well that was a good warm up before we take on Xan." Mei said, wiping her bloody hands off on the ox's fur. They talked for about a minute or so, coming up with a battle plan for when they met the leopard. Once they were sure that the plan was a good one, they ran through the opening.

When they entered the next room past the chamber, it took a minute for Po's eyes to adjust. Unlike the rest of the cave, this room was bright. It was filled with all sorts of treasure that had probably been looted from villages. There in the middle of the room was a huge crevice in the floor; a several mile deep pit of darkness. Above it, there was a cage hanging from the ceiling, containing the one and only Tigress.

"Ti!" Po shouted, "Its ok we're going to get you down!"

"Po!" Tigress shouted back, "Oh thank you so much Po!"

"Oh really?" said a familiar voice from a dark corner of the room. It was Xan, and he was holding another one of those obsidian blades. "Well I'll tell you right now that if you make one move towards that Tiger I'll let her fall some thousands of feet to her death!"

"You let her go!" Po shouted. He then turned and whispered into Mei's ear, "Hey have you found the stone yet?"

Mei whispered back, "Ya, I see it now. Xan has it on a big display at the far end of the room."

"Ok, activate plan now. I'll distract Xan while you get the stone!" Po said as he then turned to face the leopard. "Ok buddy, this time I'm here to redeem myself. You stripped me of my title, my honor, and my self-respect, but I'm gonna take that all back once I destroy you!"

The leopard laughed. It was a hearty laugh, as if the leopard was actually amused at the panda's words.

"You defeat _me? _Haha! I'll crush you panda!" and with that, the leopard leapt up in the air and smashed back down to the ground, causing the earth to tremble. "Your move_._"

Po, tried to strike at the leopard, but he was too fast. He dodged almost every single one of Po's attacks, and was starting to gain the upper hand in the battle very quickly. He knocked over the panda again and again, but still Po got up every time. The sword Xan was using was the worst part of the battle however. Po was able to easily avoid it in the beginning of the battle, but after Po started to wear down, he kept getting small scrapes and cuts all over his body. Finally, Xan swiped the blade and managed to make a deep cut down the length of Po's leg. Po keeled over in pain. The leopard kicked Po one final time in the side, and then stood over him with an evil grin on his face.

"Well, well I win again. Don't you get it? I'm stronger than you! You are no match against my infinite power!" Xan said, now raising the sword above his head, ready to strike the final blow.

"PO NO!" Tigress screamed, tears now rushing down her face. But then from the far end of the chamber, Mei yelled over to Xan,

"Hey pal! Hate to break it to you, but you're not gonna have 'infinite power' for long!" She held up her hand, and in the palm of it was a stone. Just an ordinary stone shimmering with shades of green and blue. It seemed to be glowing.

"NO!" Xan shouted. He started sprinting towards Mei, but was still not fast enough to reach her in time. Mei took the stone, placed it on the ground, and stomped on it. The rock was actually quite fragile, as when she stepped on the stone it shattered into a million pieces. As soon as the stone was broken, a ring of blue light shot from it. Xan fell to the ground. He was shaken, but got back up nonetheless. Po noticed now that the leopard was missing something. The aurora of energy that had seemed to surround him was now gone.

Po charged again, and was easily throwing punches as well as blocking them. The leopard was no match without his power, but still he fought. Po had him down on the ground after another few punches.

"Yes! Take that leopard! Skadoosh!"

Tigress and Mei both clapped, and Po managed to get Tigress down and out of the cage. Tigress gave Po another long hug and said,

"Po, don't ever scare me like that again! I thought that I was going to lose you Po."

Po replied, "Don't be silly Ti, I would never leave you. Especially by the hand of that leopard!" Tigress gave him another playful grin before walking back over to Mei, but as she walked by him she rubbed up against Po's side and purred.

_What was I thinking?! _Tigress thought to herself. _Now he's gonna think I'm a creep!_

Po thought the opposite, and was now almost certain that Tigress liked him back. But how could she like him? He was just a fat panda, and she was the most beautiful girl in all of China. Why would she ever want to date someone like him?

They only celebrated for a few more minutes after that, as they knew that the battle was only half over.

Thousands of troops lined up on the hill overlooking the Valley of Peace. They were only waiting for the word of Xan to launch a full attack on the valley. There would be no survivors. At the entrance of the Jade Palace, stood only a monkey, a snake, a praying mantis, a crane, and a red panda. They knew as well that the battle could not be won without help from a tiger and a panda. The situation was bleak. Tomorrow would be a day of bloodshed and chaos.

There was no hope for the valley. It was as good as gone.

* * *

Well here goes another chapter! check the profile for info regarding updating my story and other things. thanks for your ongoing support! PLEASE REVIEW! thanks!


	10. Panda and Tiger Pt 2: Love At Last

Well another day another chapter! This one is short, yet necessary for the story so here it is. By the way, please, please, PLEASE review! I know you don't think it's worth the time to review but it is! if you just take a minute to review the story, it helps my motivation and inspires me to create more chapters, and eventually stories. Thanks. enjoy!

-wolfgangwalker

* * *

**The Panda and the Tiger Pt 2: Confessions**

Tigress and Po worked feverishly to tie up Xan before he woke up while Mei tried to figure out a way to get back to the palace as quick as.

"Hey guys! I found a shortcut. It would take us to the Valley of Peace in 6 days!" Mei said, looking up from the map.

"Ugh, we don't have six days! The attack will probably start tomorrow night at the latest!" Tigress said, annoyed with herself for being too late to help the valley."

"No," Po said, "There has to be another way to get to the palace! How else would Xan be able to get to the battle in time to make sure he won it? We'll wait for him to wake up and ask him. Hey and by the way Mei, you know you don't have to help us anymore. We got Xan and now your home has been saved, you don't have to help us save ours."

Mei replied sarcastically, "I know, but you two would get _killed _out there if I didn't have your back all the time!" Po and Tigress both laughed at that remark. "But seriously," she said, now in a more serious tone, "You're gonna need all the help you can get out there."

There was a thundering sound rang through the walls of the cave, followed by a tremendous roar.

_Trouble. _

The ox that they had believed to be unconscious in the next room had somehow managed to get up and storm into the room in which they were currently in. Tigress had been right by the entrance to the other room and didn't see the ox come out of the darkness until it was too late. She was hit hard and was sent spiraling across the floor towards the giant crevice in the middle of the room. She screamed,

"PO!"

Po heard her scream and sprinted after Tigress. He caught her arm right as she went over the edge of the crack. She was now dangling over the pit, with only one hand tightly held onto Po's.

"Po, Po! My hands' slipping!" Tigress yelled.

"Ti, it's going to be fine, just grab my other hand!" Po said, barely able to hold on to her hand.

"Po, It's ok, leave me. You've done enough already. You truly are the brave _Dragon Warrior _that I knew you could be."

"Tigress! Come on, you can't die. Not today. Ti, please I need you."

Tigress wouldn't be able to hold on much longer.

"Tigress." Po said, calmness now resonated through his voice. "I love you Tigress."

Tigress was shocked. "Po? Wha-?"

She honestly didn't know what to say. Everything seemed to slow down. She was feeling mixed emotions of happiness, confusion, relief, and something else she was now pretty sure was _love._

_Po… loves me? I have to make it. I have to tell him how I feel too! I can do this. For Po!_

"Come on Tigress pull!" Po shouted. She did and somehow managed to grab on to his other hand. Po pulled with all his might, and lifted Tigress out of the pit.

Po got up and immediately said, "Tigress I'm sorry I said that! It's just that I thought you were going to well… fall and I thought you should know and-!"

"Po, shhh." Tigress said as she held up a finger up to his lips. "I love you too panda." And with that, Tigress leaned in and kissed Po. She didn't know what she was doing. She was leaving it all up to instinct. Tigress was aware that a battle between Mei and the ox was happening only a few feet away but she didn't care. Even if they were about to die, Tigress would never break that kiss. Po's eyes widened at first in shock, but he slowly melted into the kiss as well, embracing her like he never had before.

It was quite an odd scene. Two Kung Fu warriors locking lips, while a leopard and an ox were battaling right next to them. Po and Tigress were still kissing for what had seemed like forever, when Mei shouted at them,

"Hey great for you two but I could still use a little help!"

Tigress finally parted her lips from Po's and said,

"Yea- Yeah. We- we're coming hold on!"

"With all three of the warriors battling the ox, they had an easier time weakening it but still had some trouble in defeating it. The ox went crazy, trying to smash anything that got within ten feet of it. They slowly started backing the ox up, until finally it was at the very edge of the huge, gaping hole in the floor. Po kicked the ox right in the chest, and the ox fell right off the edge of the hole and into the sea of darkness that awaited that ox down there.

After the ox had been taken care of, Po went up to Tigress and said,

"Ti, I should have told you a long time ago that I loved you. I've felt this way towards you ever since the battle at Gongmen and the only reason I didn't tell you sooner was because I was afraid you would hate me for it. I'm sorry Ti."

"Po, you know I would never hate you for expressing your true feelings, but still I felt the same way. I loved you and I wanted to be with you, but at the same time I knew I wouldn't be able to deal with the pain of being rejected by you, so I said nothing. When you were banished from the palace, I realized how difficult life was without you Po. I couldn't even sleep at night because I was too busy worrying about you. I'm sorry too Po."

Po came close to the feline and their lips met once again, and they didn't break it until Mei finally said,

"Hey we should get going guys we have a valley to save!"

Both the panda and the tiger felt like they were on top of the world.

* * *

Thanks again for reading all the way through to chapter 10! REMEMBER: PLEASE REVIEW!

Thanks! I will update my profile again with the story info and update times.


	11. Boiling Point

Here ya go! Chapter 11 finally. I hope you enjoy it but i also hope you take the time and review the story! It is very mcuh appreciated and is always helpful! THank you readers once again! Enjoy!

-wolfgangwalker

* * *

**Boiling Point**

The Jade Palace was at unrest to say the least.

The palace staff was scurrying about, trying to prepare for the war. The furious _four_ stood at the top of the stairs, looking out upon the army that had now surrounded the valley.

"I just don't get it! Why would Tigress just leave us like that! She never said goodbye, just got some things and left!" Viper said, puzzled as to where one of her best friends could have possibly gone.

"It's obvious where she went." Monkey said. Viper eyed him, pressing for more information. "She went with Po, to go off on some crazy mission!"

"No, that can't be! Why would she join _him_! He betrayed her, tried to take her life." Viper replied, not satisfied with Monkey's theory.

Now it was Crane's turn to come up with a crazy theory.

"Guys, I think Tigress likes Po."

"Tigress likes Po?" Viper repeated, not sure how to respond.

"Ya, I think she REALLY likes him."

"Crane, don't say stupid things! Why would you even think that?"

"Because, ever since Po left, she started acting differently. She didn't bother to train half the time, and would barely even eat. She would spend hours in her room. I think I could even hear her crying at times. She was depressed, and Po was probably the cause of it. Even when Po was here at the palace, you could still tell something was happening between the two, weather it was a sexy look or a gesture. I saw her pass Po one time and I swear she rubbed her hand down Po's back! Why would she do that if she didn't like him?"

Viper slowly realized that Crane did have a point. It explained why Tigress had been so depressed, and it also explained the weird behaviors between the two, but how could she love Po now after all that had happened?"

"But Po tried to kill her! How could she follow him around knowing what he did?" Viper said.

"Maybe he didn't do anything!" Mantis chirped in. "I know we all think we saw Po try to kill her, but he would never do such a thing. He has a good heart and would never hurt Tigress like that. Plus, Tigress _did_ keep trying to tell us that Po was innocent."

"Oh god, I feel awful!" Viper said, ashamed. "We just kept on ignoring her, despite her pleas to bring Po back! Now they're both gone. Gone because of us. The valley will never be able to defend this army without Po and Tigress. Where could they be?"  
_

It had been several days since Po, Tigress, and Mei had left the caves, and the Valley of Peace was already in sight. As soon as Xan had woken up, Po threatened to throw him into the same pit as they had thrown Xan's pet ox, and he was more than willing to tell them about a secret cave system that would cut the travel time in half to the valley.

After a few days of no sunlight or fresh air, they finally made it back to the surface, now only a two-day walk from the valley. Those two days were spent with Po and Tigress talking, holding hands, and a LOT of kissing between them. Mei noticed how happy Tigress was now. As Po and her walked, Tigress' tail would swish back and forth in sort of an excited fashion, and she laughed and purred a lot too. Mei never pegged the tiger as being the type to laugh, but love has a strange way of changing people.

Once they were just outside of the valley. Tigress turned to Xan and said,

"Listen, you're not going to cause us any trouble, so when we get to the army, you WILL tell them to call off the attack. Okay?" She then growled at Xan, causing him to jump.

"Okay, okay! I'll call off the attack! Just please don't kill me!" Xan said; eyes wide with fear.

They came up behind the enemy's camp, and Po yelled,

"Listen up! We have your leader, Xan, and he is going to give you some new orders!" Now almost the entire army turned towards them, ready for battle. Po then turned to Xan "Isn't that right, Xan?"

"Yes. Yes I believe I do have new orders for you all!" Xan said. A smile slowly started to play out on his face. "Okay everyone what I need from all of you is to… DESTROY THE VALLEY! LEAVE NO SURVIVORS. LAUNCH THE ATTACK. I WANT THE INVASION TO BEGIN IN AN HOUR AT THE LEAST!"

"Dammit! Tigress yelled, "Run!"

A few hundred warriors broke apart from the rest, and ran after them, determined to set their leader free from his prison.

They sprinted for the Jade Palace, so they could rally the five and Shifu and help defend the city. As they started to head up the stairs however, many of the warriors caught up to them. Tigress helped to fend them off, while Mei and Po struggled to carry Xan's cage all the way up the stairs. It was very slow progress, but they finally made it to the top of the stairs, and were met by the rest of the Furious Five.

Viper cried, "Tigress! Where have you been? Who is the leopard in the cage? Who's the other person accompanying you? Why is Po here?! Are you OK?"

"Viper calm down!" Tigress said, "I'll explain later, but right now we _need_ to see Shifu!"

"Ok, fine" Viper said, unsatisfied. "But I want _all _the details. Shifu's in his quarters pacing about, trying to figure out a way to defend the valley. I wouldn't bug him though, he's very busy."

"This can't wait!" Tigress replied as she took Po's hand. "Come on Po, we've got a leopard to deliver."

As Viper watched the two Kung Fu masters run off, holding each other's hand, she could now see what Crane had been talking about.

Po and Tigress came bursting in to Shifu's quarters with the caged Xan with Po yelling,

"Shifu we got him! We got the leopard!"

Shifu, who had been previously occupied reading one of his many scrolls, spun around and said,

"Po! Didn't I say not to come back until you had- THE LEOPARD! You actually caught him?" He walked up to Xan and said, "So you're the one who's been causing all the trouble lately? Well, I'll see to it that you are punished fairly! Guards, take him away!" And with that, Xan was hauled off, yelling, "NO! I WILL HAVE REVENGE! THIS WILL SOON BE MY PALACE AND YOU WILL ALL BE MY SERVANTS! YOU WILL-!" The yelling of the delirious leopard faded away as the stone doors shut behind them.

Shifu now looked at Po, and then at Tigress, and then back at Po. He noticed that the two were holding hands.

"Well Po, it seems that I thought wrongly about you, and for that I'm sorry. I should have listened to Tigress when she kept on telling me that you were innocent. Welcome back, _Dragon Warrior. _As for you Tigress, I would expect better from you. Running off on some adventure, without even telling me? But I think I know your reasons for leaving with Po." At this remark, Tigress' cheeks turned bright red, and she had to turn away. "Well anyway, it's good to have both of you back. Now go on, we have a valley to defend." Po turned to leave when Shifu said, "Not you Panda, I need to talk to you about something."

_Uh oh, this can't be good! _Po thought as he meekly replied, "Yes Master Shifu."

As Tigress walked by, she gave Po a reassuring look and walked out the door. As soon as Tigress left Shifu said,

"Now look Panda, I can _clearly_ tell that there is something going on between you and my daughter. Perhaps a little more than a friendship?"

"Um- no, no that's not- er, well… kind of… I mean yes. Yes there is something going on, kind of." Po managed to squeak out.

"Well, I can tell that she cares for you a lot. The way she looks at you tells more than words can possibly say. I don't know exactly what she sees in you but just know that if you break her heart, you'll have much more to be afraid of then that army of 10,000 out there. Do I make myself clear panda?"

"Um, yes Master Shifu, I think so. But listen, Tigress means the world to me and I would never, EVER hurt her in any way. I love your daughter, and protecting her is my number one priority. I won't let you down, I promise."

"I know Po. You have the heart of gold, but she's my only daughter. The one thing I hate more than when Tigress is with you, is when she is without you. BUT, there will be some rules. EVERYONE will sleep in their OWN rooms. There will be NO public displays of emotion. And finally, relationships will NOT distract you or anyone else from training. Understand?"

"I understand"

Pretty much all of those rules were broken soon enough.

"Good. Now get going Dragon Warrior, you must prepare for battle. The enemy is upon us."

Po left Shifu's quarters with mixed emotions. _He's ok with me and Tigress dating! But, if I hurt her in any way, I'm dead. It'll be fine. I could never come to hurt her._

Tigress came up to Po after he was out and said,

"So, what did you guys talk about?"

"We talked about us. He knows."

"Us? Oh, that's not good. I can't believe you're still alive actually!"

"He was surprisingly ok with it. He didn't approve, but he didn't oppose the idea either."

"Wow, he must actually like you Po! Shifu's VERY protective when it comes to… me."

"Ya I could tell. He did lay down some rules though. We can't show our relationship in public first of all."

"Oh, well we can't let a few rules get in our way can we?" Tigress said as she slid her hand up Po's chest. She then got close to Po's face, and moved her lips over his in a deep, passionate kiss. As the warriors stood there, taking in each other's essence, they drew some attention from the others. Viper and Crane walked by and just stood there, dumbstruck, and then Mei came in, looked at them, and just smiled. When they finally noticed the others, they quickly broke off the kiss and Tigress and Po both turned scarlet.

Po finally broke the awkward silence by saying,

"Well? We can't just stand around all day. We have to get prepared! Let's go guys!" The small crowd quickly disbanded, going to gather various supplies and giggling all the way.

* * *

Well hope you enjoyed it! And remember: Please take a minute to review the story! It is deeply appreciated and motivates me to write more! Thank you!


	12. The Battle For the Valley

Here's chapter 12 of the story so i hope you enjoy it! ALSO, PLEASE REVIEW! it helps alot and is deeply appreciated. So please, just take a minute to review and in turn, i get the motivation to keep writing. I love the reviews so far and i hope you all leave your opinions as well. thanks and enjoy!

-wolfgangwalker

* * *

Chapter 12: The Battle For the Valley

Po was still getting ready for the war when he started hearing shouts of panic from the five and some palace staff.

"They're coming! It's started!" He could hear the voices from down the hall and ran towards them. He found the source of the yelling and joined up with the rest of the five, Mei, and Shifu at the front door of the palace. They could clearly see that the large mass of enemies was moving forward; getting closer to the mass of homes that made up the village.

"Aright let's go!" Po said.

"Po," Tigress said with a grin, "are you ready?"

"I guess so. You?" Tigress took a deep breath, and then looked out upon the massive army.

"Ready as I'll ever be. And Po?"

"Yes Ti?"

"I love you."

"I love you too Tigress. With all my heart I love you." She smiled, and it was the most beautiful smile that Po had ever seen. If he died tonight, he would die knowing that he loved the most beautiful girl in all of China, in the entire world for that matter, and she loved him back. He was at peace now.

"Charge!" Po shouted as he started to sprint down the stairs.

He tripped about halfway down, and rolled the rest of the way to the bottom. He landed at the bottom with a _thud _and slowly got up again and ran towards the edge of the village. He could see the soldiers now. They were almost to the village and Po knew that if they got there, they would try to burn it down. The rest of the group had now caught up to Po as they ran straight for the front lines.

They clashed with the army and all hell broke loose. The first part of the battle was somewhat of a blur. There was a lot of punching, kicking, and cries of pain. Po couldn't really see anything in the mass of people surrounding him. He tried to find Tigress, but he couldn't see her among the fray.

_Oh please let her be ok. Please._

He kept throwing punches randomly and seemed to hit someone each time. He was making good progress through the soldiers now. Because many of them were untrained and inexperienced, Po was able to defeat them very easily. Tigress however was not making as much progress. She was just finishing off some victims when she looked up and saw a black and white fox staring directly at her, grinning. She could tell that he had to be some kind of leadership in the army. He just looked smarter and more cunning than the rest. She charged at him but he was easily able to dodge her attack and then knocked her down with a side kick.

He said, "Well if it isn't the infamous Master Tigress? You'll make a nice pet in the Jade Palace after I take it over!"

Tigress growled, "You'll never win!" and then continued to fight the fox. He was good to say the least. Between him and the other 20 soldiers attacking her, Tigress was quickly overwhelmed. They just kept coming and she eventually fell over, not able to sustain any more. The fox motioned for the troops to back off and stood over her, a smirk on his face.

"You're pretty good!" He said mockingly. "I could use a warrior like you by my side. You've got a pretty face, yet you can also dish out a few moves as well. You could join me! We'll rule all of China!"

_This guy is crazy! _Tigress thought. _Where is Po?_

"PO!" Tigress called out, but no reply came.

"Haha! The Dragon Warrior can't help you! You're _mine _ kitty?"

_Crack! _A bolt of black and white slammed into the fox's face. It was none other than the noble Dragon Warrior himself, Po.

"Listen pal," Po said to the fox now on the ground cringing because of the pain, "She's mine. Got it?"

The fox nodded before passing out from the major hit Po had inflicted on him.

Po and Tigress were now confronted by a group of fighters, and they were surrounding them. Po and Tigress got back to back, ready to fight off anyone who dared come close. After a minute or so like this, Po murmured to Tigress,

"Maybe they're too afraid to fight us. I mean, we just-"

"Let's get 'em!" Someone shouted and soon the two lovers were being confronted from all sides. There was no escape. The only way to get out was to fight their way out.  
_

Shifu was taking down enemies by groups of ten, and had the definite upper hand. Mei was in the fray as well, not as skilled as any one of the Kung Fu warriors, but she was still taking out her share of opponents. The rest of the five were taking care of things as well. Crane stayed back at the very edge of the village to drive back of any fighters that tried to make a run into the village.

The army was shrinking, and the fighters were being destroyed by the warriors of justice. They were slowly starting to take control of this battle. But they were not all safe yet.  
_

Tigress and Po were battling hundreds of warriors, and they were coming from all directions. Po and Tigress were being consumed and there was no hope in sight. There was just too many of them to fight off. They were both battling as hard as they could but to no avail. Po was desperately trying to come up with a way to win, and he thought of something that might just work. The Wuxi Finger Hold! It was how Po defeated his first opponent, Tai Lung, so why couldn't he do it now?

Both him and Tigress were being pressed up against the ground and time was running out for the two. He had no choice; he took one of the soldier's hands and grabbed his finger. He then quickly put his pinky down and waited.

_BOOM! _A blinding ring of light shot from the Panda, and threw all of the soldiers flew off of them. Then when the dust settled, it showed a remarkable array of fallen enemies. Some were still groaning in pain. Then, reality hit Po.

_Where's Tigress?!_

Po suddenly remembered the feline, and the promise he had made to Shifu to keep her safe.

"Tigress! Tigress, where are you?" Po called out, he then saw something that stuck out. Among the grey, lifeless bodies of the fallen, there was a touch of orange and black.

"Tigress!" Po said again as he rushed over to her. He sat down and put her head in his lap. "Please, wake up Tigress wake up! Come on Tigress please!" There was a stir from the master, and then she opened her eyes and looked at Po. She managed a weak smile.

"Thank you Po." Was all she said. Shifu, the five, and Mei quickly rushed over to Po and Tigress. Mei was shouting,

"Po you did it! You made some kind of explosion and it took out the remainder of the army! I have to learn that move what's your- oh." She said as she saw Tigress lying there in Po's arms. There were cuts on her from head to toe and she seemed to have been hit in the head pretty hard, as there was blood coming from it.

She looked around at the group and said,

"I'm fine guys. Thanks to Po anyway." She said, looking up at the Dragon Warrior who in turn stared right back into her eyes. Those eyes were beautiful, even in the current situation and they sparkled like a thousand diamonds.

Po had done it. He had saved his home, defeated Xan, and got the girl of his dreams. He could tell that everything would be ok.

Back at the palace, Po gently laid a sleeping Tigress down on her bed and said,

"It's ok Ti, we did it. We won." Tigress stirred and looked at Po.

"Thank you so much Po. You saved our home and our lives. What would we do without you? What would _I _do without you? I love you Dragon Warrior." And with that being said she gently pressed her lips to Po's and Po wrapped his arms around her as they both savored the moment.

* * *

Thanks again for reading! now please review if you thought that the story was good. Thank you so much! As for updating, i will not do anything else with the story over the weekend so il probobly post monday or tuesday. you can check my profile for more story and update info

THANKS AGAIN!


	13. Awakening

**Well here it is! After a short break, im back to writing! This is the final chapter of Bound By Honor but be sure to watch for the sequel which should be out shortly after v-day. Please, if you have read the entire story, review it and tell me how you liked it! ANd please, just be sure to review in general, it really helps a LOT. THank you so much everyone for your continued interest in support. This story has been dedicated to ALL of you writers out there! Yes, YOU! I realize now how daunting it is to keep updating a story while trying to make it interesting as well! Again, thanks and here ya go,**

**Enjoy!**

**-wolfgangwalker**

* * *

**Chapter 13:**

**Awakening (FINAL CHAP!)**

Everything was going back to normal for everyone in the Valley of Peace. The villagers returned home, after they had fled during the battle. Mei was offered a room at the palace, and she gladly accepted, finding many new friends in her new home. Po moved back into the palace, and training had started again for everyone, except Tigress who was recovering in her room. Po had visited his mate every day now, making sure his beloved Ti was ok.

On one of these occasions, he came into her room bearing an assortment of tiger lilies and a hot bowl of freshly made soup and sat down beside her with a concerned expression on his face. Tigress looked up at Po and gave him one of her amazing grins and said,

"Po! You shouldn't have. These are beautiful!" mentioning to the flowers. "And you brought me soup too! Po, you are the most amazing guy in all of China! If I could get out of this bed right now, I'd hug you!" She then saw Po's look and said, "Po, what's wrong?"

"It's just that- well, I feel really bad about what happened a few days ago. I shouldn't have tried the Wuxi Finger Hold with you so close. You could have died! I was supposed to protect you no matter what, but I failed. I'm sorry Ti."

Tigress chuckled a little and said, "Po, you _know_ that you saved me. If it hadn't been for you, I wouldn't have made it! You did a great job of protecting me, _Dragon Warrior_." And then she leaned forward a little and wrapped her arms around Po. She whispered in his ear, "You're my hero, Po." She then moved her lips over his and gently kissed him. After they broke apart, she could still see the guilt in his jade eyes.

"Po, you can't protect me from every scrape I get. But you were there when I needed you the most."

"Ya, I guess you're right." He said, but he couldn't escape the guilt of almost letting the love of his life get torn to pieces.

_I need to talk to Shifu_.He thought to himself. It was the only way to clear his conscious.

He felt like he had failed Shifu, after he promised earlier to him that he would keep Tigress safe at all costs. He knew that talking to Shifu would be the only way to forgive himself for what he had done.

Po found Shifu in the training hall, instructing Monkey on how to use stealth to approach an enemy silently.

Po slowly walked up to his master and said, "Hey um, Master Shifu, can we talk?" Po said nervously.

_Sigh. _"Yes, I think I know what this is about. Come Dragon Warrior, let us walk. And Monkey, just stay here and keep practicing, this should only take a minute or so."

They both walked out of the hall and walked around the outside of the palace, when Po finally said,

"Look, I'm sorry that I let Tigress get injured like that. I was thinking irrationally, and I thought that the Wuxi Finger Hold was the only thing that could help us in the situation. I was probably wrong and my mistake almost cost Tigress her life! I failed you, and I would understand if you didn't want me to… well… 'See' her anymore, but I just want you to know that I _do _love her so much. She's my life now and it would kill me to be without her." Shifu took in the Panda's ragged apology and said,

"Po, Tigress may have been injured, but if you hadn't done what you did when you did it, I fear that Tigress wouldn't have been so lucky as to receive only the minor injuries that she sustained. She knows you saved her and I do as well. You're a hero Po, don't forget that. As far as letting you see my daughter however…"

Po's heart sank. He suddenly thought about not having her in his life and knew that it would be a terrible life to live. He shouted,

"NO!"

"Excuse me?" Shifu said, clearly annoyed with the outburst.

"I mean, you can't let me not see Tigress anymore! I mean, I am SO sorry for what happened just please, _please,_ don't take her away from me."

Shifu smiled and said,

"Please, let me finish what I was saying. When did I say that you could not see Tigress? In fact, it is my deepest wish that you two remain together."

"But- but-" Po stammered, "You hate me! Why would you want me to-?"

"Po, I do not _hate _you at all! In fact, I admire your heroism. You can be a bit… _Po-ish _at times, but you make up for it with your dedication, bravery, and perseverance. I also believe that this is best for Tigress. She is the happiest I have seen her in years! She actually smiles now. She laughs now. I think that she's starting to realize that there is much more to Kung Fu then training day in and day out. She loves you Po, and I just couldn't bear to take away the source of all her happiness."

"Oh, thank you Master Shifu!" Po said as he picked up the red panda and gave him a big hug.

"Po! Put me down or I might be forced to reconsider!" Shifu yelled angrily at Po.

"Oh yes sir Mater Shifu. Sorry." He said as he quickly put the panda down.

"Ok, now go meditate or something panda!" Po quickly turned to leave when Shifu mentioned,

"Also, you may call me Shifu."

"Alright Shi- I mean, Master Sh- wait no, no, Shifu! Ok Shifu, thank you."

"You're welcome, now off with you!"  
_

After a few days, Tigress was making a speedy recovery and could now walk around. One night, Po and Tigress went and sat up at the Peach Tree of Heavenly Wisdom, looking up at the stars above the valley, a million sparkling balls of light hanging above the night sky. Tigress laid her head down on Po's shoulder purred softly.

"Aren't they beautiful Po?" she said.

"They definitely are." Po said as he looked into Tigresses eyes. She saw him looking at her and blushed. She thought she was so imperfect, but somehow Po managed to only see good things about her. She now looked into Po's eyes, as he looked into hers.

"I want you to be mine tonight, Po." She whispered to him.

"Anything for you, Ti." He replied.

They locked lips under the tree, loosing themselves in the moment.

Tonight would be a night of peace and harmony throughout the Valley of Peace and China. However, far away in a pit of darkness, sat a lone creature, grinning and flashing its sharp teeth. It was an abomination of the grumbled,

"Sooooo. Theeerrree isss a nneww Dragon Warrrior born? HAHAHA! I will _cruuuussshhh_ his bones beneath my feeeettt! This warrior will soooonnn know what _true _powweeerr isssssss." The creature then let out a shrill cry. One that echoed across the world.

Shifu was meditating when his ears suddenly perked up. His eyes shot open.

_He's awake._

**_To be continued..._**

* * *

**Well thats that! The end of my first story on this site. My deepest thanks to all of you who stayed with the story! Please be sure to check my profile page for info on the sequel to Bound By Honor and what other stories I might have in mind! It will have info on the release of the sequel as well. Thanks and be sure to take just a minute and review the story, thanks!**


End file.
